The subject of the different jobs I've held is to long and veried to take up space here. If one job that was held by me is enough for you to judge me, then judge away. That was all you could come up with? It also depends on what you consider sleazy. Percieve as you will. Have a nice day.

Just one last comment on this issue from me and I will move on. The real issue here has nothing to do with whether you smoke or not; what you think about smoking; what kind of smoker you are; how considerate you are; and etc. The issue here is police department priorities and the application of available resources to meet those priorities. Ms. Tobin's assertion that the sting operation perhaps involved a couple of hours of police time is little short of preposterous. I happened to be sitting in the Tomahawk Bowl when the sting team hit there so I know something about the resources, both in time and manpower, that were involved. I also have a good deal of experience in the operatons arena and know that there was also a great deal of time, money, and manpwer used behind the scenes. I cannot defend in any way the shortcomings of the local shopkeepers in allowing the sale of cigarettes to minors. I can also, however, not defend what I see as a very poor selection of priorities by a local police department and the application of such significant recources to the issue. My question remains......when is the Tomahawk Police Department going to show this same kind of zeal in attacking a really difficult problem in this community...the sale of drugs to our young people?

Short side note: You might want to change the s in Ms to an r in Mr. Thanks.

Back to subject: I think the city of Tomahawk has many problems and I don't believe the sale of any illegal product should be overlooked. If you are a business selling cigs to minors you are committing just as many (probably even more based on number of minors sold to) crimes as a drug dealer is.

I grew up in Tomahawk and went through the school district and I think smoking is just as much of an issue.

First, smoking is legal. And try as you may and lock up all the shoppe keepers in town that sell a fag (that ought to get some "other" comments going, hehehe) to a kid, and the kids are still going to get cigs. Fact of life. It is a parenting issue for the most part not a law and order issue. Not that I condone selling cigs to minors but that will not solve the problem or even come close.

Number two, for the liberals to keep preaching how nasty and vile smoking is and all the while trying to get a bigger piece of the pie is not only extortion and morally bankrupt but is one of the many, many liberal hypocrisies they practice. Not to mention they are also behind the national movement to legalize other much worse drugs.

I know not all that think smoking is nasty of vile are liberals, but they are the ones behind all the lawsuits to get a chunk of the revenues via taxation.

If smoking is so dastardly wrong, then we should be making it illegal not going into partnership with the tobacco companies. You talk about an addiction? They are already addicted to the tax money. Like to see them kick that habit! Not going to happen easily or soon if at all!

I am a reformed smoker, quit 30 years ago. I would support making it illegal but do not support the ridicules law suits and taxes. That is morally bankrupt as I stated earlier. I do support smokeless bars and restaurants and actually banning it in most if not all public places. Certainly those where one is confined and has to be there.

And finally lay off nugget just because he used to manage a top-less joint! (Hey good buddy any chance we can get a peek at your rolodex?)

Originally posted by JFlosum:Number two, for the liberals to keep preaching how nasty and vile smoking is and all the while trying to get a bigger piece of the pie is not only extortion and morally bankrupt but is one of the many, many liberal hypocrisies they practice. Not to mention they are also behind the national movement to legalize other much worse drugs.

I have preached all my adult life about how nasty and vile smoking is. It is a major health risk and costs all of us billions of dollars per year in health care costs. I think lawsuits against tobacco companies are 100% wrong. Sorry smokers, if you don't know that tobacco is a major risk to your health get your head out of the sand. Spilled hot coffee burns and tobacco makes you sick, there are no grounds to sue. The attorney general's report first came out in 1964 so anyone who started smoking after 1964 is doing so having heard and read that smoking causes all sorts of health problems.

I watched my mother, who was a smoker, die from small cell lung cancer. It was a hard experience. Do I feel like suing the tobacco companies whose products caused her lung cancer or the retailers who sold her cigarettes? Absolutely not. My mother knew the risks but still chose to smoke. She started smoking in 1936, long before the health risks were known so she was already addicted by 1964 but I still wish she had quit.

Retailers do have a responsibility not to sell tobacco products to teens. It is well documented that if you don't start smoking as a teen it is a lot less likely you'll start as an adult. It has also been shown recently that if the cost of a pack of cigarettes goes up to $3 or more that fewer teens buy cigarettes.

The youngest smoker I've known who died as a direct result of tobacco died at age 23. He died of a smoking caused cancer of his sinuses. I know another 28 y.o. smoker who died of mouth cancer. So young people who think smoking induced cancer only happens to old people are fooling themselves. Carol Burnett's daughter was only in her 30's, as are many lung cancer victims.

I don't support the legalization of any street or illicit drugs. I would support making tobacco use illegal but I don't think that will ever happen nor would it work.

Nell

Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Nell- About that statememnt that if cigarettes ever get above $3 per pack the teens won't be buying, the "premium" brands are approaching $4 per pack. The kids still buy them.

The parents need to make a stand. Ignorance is no excuse. If you have a sense of smell, you'll know if your kids smoke. That stench gets into the hair, the clothes, the car, you name it. When my wife & I smoked, the place smelled worse than an ashtray.

The merchants need to be vigilant for underage buyers, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents. Have some balls, put your kids' health as a priority and get them to stop committing a slow-paced suicide.

Baby, I am very sorry that you have had it so bad. Many people have. I am also the product of an alcoholic set of parents. However, I guess I was the lucky one of the four childern. Two out of three of my brothers have had major medical problems. It is only my opion but, I BELIEVE the leagel things such as alcohol and cigerettes are just as bad if not worse then most illigal drugs. They (cigs and alcohol) are mind altering DRUGS. Large corporations make laws. They have enough money to buy anything they want. Few people actually do their part and Vote. Again my opinion only, "Laws are what the majority of the voting population think they should be, which is actaully the minority of what the U.S.A.'s population really is." There is alot of expense involved in cig. smoking, not just monatery.